Former AL Cy Young winner Bieber made a remarkable comeback in his Blue Jays debut with nine strikeouts.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider grinned broadly and proclaimed himself a devoted Bieber supporter.

“I’ve got ‘Bieber fever,’” he said proudly. “I’m a true believer.”

It’s fair to say that Shane Bieber’s comeback since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024 has been a tremendous success.

The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner pitched six strong innings in his Blue Jays debut, helping the team secure a 5-2 victory over the Marlins at LoanDepot Park on Friday night. Bieber threw 87 pitches, allowing just two hits and one run, striking out nine without issuing a walk.

“I found a good rhythm early tonight, which is a key part of pitching, especially for me,” Bieber said. “It felt very familiar. I’m satisfied with how everything felt. There was absolutely no sense of unfamiliarity.”

“Usually, control is the last thing to come back after that kind of injury,” Schneider said. “First off, I’m just happy for Shane. It’s been a long road back. And for him to come out and deliver that kind of performance... efficient, with great tempo. His changeup was outstanding, his slider was excellent, and he precisely located his fastballs. That’s everything you expect from a Cy Young winner, and he made it look easier than most who return from surgery.” The 30-year-old right-hander set up the first batter, Xavier Edwards, with two fastballs and a changeup before striking him out with an 82.6 mph curveball. Bieber then struck out Jakob Marsee with an 89.3 mph changeup, before making his first mistake—a fastball that hit Agustín Ramírez on the left forearm. On the next pitch, Bieber got Liam Hicks to fly out to center field.

In the second inning, Bieber appeared to be heading for another three-up, three-down frame until 5-foot-7, 150-pound Javier Sanoja launched a 93.7 mph fastball an estimated 397 feet by Statcast to center field for a two-out solo home run. With a 1-2 count, Sanoja battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to finally win the duel.

“That was honestly a great at-bat,” Bieber said. “After throwing a string of good pitches, he finished with a beautiful swing.”

With the Blue Jays leading 3-0, Bieber took the mound for the first time in the major leagues, benefiting from Daulton Varsho’s RBI double and Ty France’s two-run single—both coming with two outs in the top of the first off Marlins starter Ryan Gusto.

Bieber’s last outing was on April 2, 2024, with the Guardians, where before being sidelined, he pitched 12 scoreless innings across two starts. Now, he looks to be in great shape.

The 30-year-old right-hander set the tone for the first batter, Xavier Edwards, with two fastballs and a changeup, then struck him out with an 82.6 mph curveball. Bieber followed by striking out Jakob Marsee with an 89.3 mph changeup, before his first error—a fastball that hit Agustín Ramírez on the left forearm. On the next pitch, Bieber induced a flyout to center field from Liam Hicks.

In the second inning, Bieber seemed poised for another perfect inning until 5-foot-7, 150-pound Javier Sanoja crushed a 93.7 mph fastball an estimated 397 feet to center field for a two-out solo homer. With a 1-2 count, Sanoja battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to come out on top.

“That was honestly a fantastic at-bat,” Bieber said. “He capped it off with a beautiful swing after a series of good pitches.”

Bieber retired the next nine batters over the following three innings and struck out all three batters in the fourth inning.

The Blue Jays extended their lead to 5-1 in the sixth inning when Varsho hit a two-run homer to right-center off Gusto.

The Marlins didn’t record their second hit off Bieber until the sixth inning, when Marsee singled to first base. Two pitches later, the inning ended, and so did Bieber’s successful night.

“I’m very pleased with how things went tonight,” Bieber said. “It’s been a long journey. I’m happy to keep building from where I was 16 months ago. I feel like I’m still improving. There are many positive signs. Now it’s just about continuing to take it step by step and getting better.”

Bieber and Schneider shared a long embrace in the clubhouse after the game.

“I just said, ‘After more than 500 days, you should sit back and really enjoy this. Congratulations,’” Schneider said. “You never want to get emotional on the field or in the clubhouse. But you could feel the relief of him returning... When you see a truly great starter come back to what he does best, that’s the brightest moment of your day.”

After the game, Bieber spent time with his family outside the visiting team’s locker room.

“For me, all day today, I’ve felt genuine gratitude for this long journey. My family and my support system have kept me going every day,” he said. “It’s wonderful to share this moment with them.”

Schneider said before the game that there were no restrictions on how Bieber would pitch, although he might limit his pitch count to 100.

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Bieber from Cleveland before this season’s trade deadline while he was still in recovery. Over the past three weeks, Bieber pitched in four rehab games for the Guardians’ affiliates and three more in Triple-A Buffalo.

Bieber completed seven rehab appearances, pitching 29 innings with a 1.86 ERA and 37 strikeouts.